Blog

MC2 Solar Now Offers a Superior Battery to the Tesla Battery for Residential Solar Power

Without batteries, solar panel systems would be, at most, inconsistent sources of energy. Due to the changing nature of solar power, generous during sunny days and nonexistent at night, batteries are needed to regulate this cycle. These batteries store electricity when solar energy is at its peak and discharge it when needed.

Big-brand batteries such as Tesla’s Powerwall have become well-known for doing just that. However, the Tesla battery is not by any means the end of the road in terms of battery quality, nor when it comes to flexibility. This field is a highly innovative one and a better product is always on the horizon. We are now offering our clients such a product – the Enphase AC battery, a perfect choice for residential solar power systems and one that wins on many fronts when compared to Tesla’s battery.

First, here are the details. Enphase is an AC-coupled battery, a safer option that means that no high-voltage DC passes through the system. Due to its lithium iron phosphate chemistry, Enphase has a long cycle life and charges fast. Its round trip cell efficiency of 96% ensures minimal energy waste, while the 95% depth of discharge means efficient and reliable usage. These numbers are important when trying to couple the best solar panels with the best way of storing energy.

While the Powerwall has its definite advantages, one of them being its bigger power output, these advantages are coupled with harder things to swallow. A heftier upfront price that means serious upfront commitment, lack of flexibility in adapting to your specific consumption needs, difficulty of installation and considerable weight are only a few of the things that may make you look at other alternatives.

Enphase counteracts many of these disadvantages. At a mere 55 pounds, the battery comes at a fifth of what Tesla weighs. The installation generally takes one person less than two hours, and the battery easily connects to the AC wiring found in most homes.

But it is when this ease of installation combines with the modular construction of the Enphase battery that you get the formula most homeowners need. It happens often that prospective residential solar panels owners are not sure about their future energy consumption and would prefer to advance cautiously in order to find a scenario that works for them. If you are one of them, the Enphase battery allows you to get no more than what you need and avoid waste. If your energy needs grow in time, another Enphase battery can be installed in a simple plug-and-play manner, which keeps installation costs under control and allows for maximum flexibility. These may dramatically reduce the upfront costs in case you prefer to gradually add to your storage system.

While Powerwall can be installed only on compatible solar systems, Enphase works on any existing solar system and residential solar panels, with any brand of inverter. Finally, if incompatibilities are the bug of the modern technological world, this is not the case with Enphase batteries. With an Enphase software that controls the battery and all energy production and consumption, there are less chances of conflicts than with Powerwall that uses outside control software. The Enphase Enlighten monitoring software is a fully integrated management system that allows you to make smart decisions and use your energy efficiently.